Stapling machine



Sept- 20, 1938- w. DRYPoLcHER. .f 2,130,734

S'TAPLING MACHINE Filed4 June 11, 1935 2 the loading of staples into the machine.

UNITED STATES VParisist*1 OFFICE sTAPuNG MACHINE William Drypolcher, Valley Stream, N. Y. Application June 11, 1935, sei-iai no. 25,973

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This invention relates to stapling machines, and more particularly to those known as the lever type, whereinpressure of one hand upon a lever operates to store energy in a compression spring, which energy is subsequently released to drive a staple.

One of the problems connected with the use of a lever type stapling machine is the loading of l the staplesinto said machine. `The staples may be loaded in from the rear of the machine. However, there are certain inherent advantages in loading the machine from the front end.

This .is dilcult tofdo, under ordinary circumstances, because the compressive force of the w drive spring holds the driver plunger at its low-` est position except during a brief moment when the driver is raisedvas the machine is being operated. Consequently the driver in its normal position lies in the path of and directly obstructs In my Patent No. 2,033,516, granted March 10. 1936, I disclosed one method of overcoming this dimculty, by holding the entire driving mecha nism upraised to a certain point where said mech-V anism will not interfere with the insertion of the .staples into the feed channel of the core. In other words, the mechanism is locked with the spring in compressed condition.' Because of the powerful nature of the driving spring, this places the parts under considerable stress. In my present application, I .disclose a new and improved method of accomplishing the same purpose without holding the driving mechanism upraised ad-g jacent the top of its stroke, or equally impor- '35 tantly, without holding the driving spring under tension. The primary object of my invention is to generally improve stapling machines. A more particular object of my invention is to provide an 4o easy and convenient method of loading a charge of staples into such a machine. A further object of the invention is to provide an easy ,and convenient method of clearing the channel of the machine should it becomeclogged. Another object is to adapt the same mechanism for facilitating both loading the machine, and clearing the same when clogged. A still further object of the invention is to provide accurate and inexpensive means for the stated purposes.

5o To the accomplishment of the foregoing and other objects which will hereinafter appear, my

invention consists in the stapling machine elements and their relation one to the other, as hereinafter are more particularly described in the specification and sought to be defined in the claims. The speciflcationis accompanied by a drawing in which:

Figure l represents aperspective View of one type of stapling machine making use of my inven- I tion, with the forward bottom portion of the casing cut away to expose the working parts;

Figure 2 represents a close-up view showing' gie loading of a charge of staples into the maga- Figure 3 is a rear View of the plunger and pivoted driving blade forming an important feature my invention, with theblade in angular posi- Figure d is a front view of the plunger and pivoted driving blade; and

Figure 5 is a section taken in elevation through the staple driving vmechanism of the machine.

In the particular machine illustrated in the drawing the staples are fed horizontally, and upon depression of manually operable lever i5, the endmost or forward staple is driven downwardly byl a spring pressed driver.v The staples are loaded at the driving end of the machine, that is, from thel right as viewed in Figs. l and 2. The driver it is disposed directly in the staple loading path, but in accordance with the present invention it may be moved independently of the plunger it and driving spring 22, the movement being adequate to entirely clear the staple loading path. More specifically, the driver i0 is pivoted on plunger it, as is clearly shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4. During operation the driver is held in driving position by appropriate guide means, and in accordance with the present invention, the guide means t is itself releasable to free the driver it, as will be seen by comparing Figs.. i and 2. Moreover, the guide means may be used also as a staple loading door. thus fully opening the machine to receive a new clip of staples, as is shown in Fig. 2, after moving merely the members 6 and it to open position. At the same time the spring 22 and plunger lI4 remain in downward position, and are in no way affected by the loading operation. n

Considering the machine in greater detail, the

device is shown to consist of a frame i,- into which (Fig. 3) of the driver or blade I0. Blade IIJ in' its normal position lies in and is confined by a closed drive channel formed by the front surface of core 2 and the three inner side walls of door E. Door t is formed substantially U-shaped when viewed in plan, and'has a support arm or strip extending upward therefrom. Said arm has a piece 'i struck outwardly or otherwise formed thereon, and acting as a finger piece to facilitate opening the door. In the bottom of the side portions of the U- shaped door are cut deep straight walled notches 9 which securely and dependably mate with locking projections 8 on the core; Secure anchorage is desirable because the closure or door S is relied upon to hold the driver or blade lil in working position, which in the present case is in alignment with the plunger I4. Door 6 at its uppermost portion is rolled into a cylindrical form providing a hinge bearing I'I for a pin I8, the ends of said pin being slidable in oblong slots I5 dimensioned to permit the door 6 to be-raised upward until notches 9 clear their mating extensions 8. This permits the door to be swung outward as shown in Figure 2. Pin I8 is preferably higher than driver pivot I2, so that the door 6 when open will not obstruct full opening of driver III, and in the arrangement shown both the door and. driver may be moved upwardly to collateral horizontal position.

The machine includes a plunger I4 which is a substantially cylindrical shaped member hollowed at 20 (Fig. 4) to provide for the insertion of a driver compression spring 22 (Fig. 1). The lower part of the "plunger is shaped to provide for the insertion of bearing II which is pivoted on pivot pin I2 the ends of which are received in ears depending from the plunger. Bearing II contains solidly xed'in it a driver or driving blade I0. The top I3 of bearing I I is accurately machined off to such dimension that when driving blade III swings completely downward so as to be in line with the 'axis .or longitudinal dimension of plunger I4, bearing surface I3 comes into solid or face to face contact with a complemental bearing surface at the bottom of the plunger. When the staple driving unit is in operation, this solid surface of contact relieves pivot pin I2, as the complete force of the -blow is transmitted directly through the blade I0, bearing II, through surface I3, into the plunger I4.

'I'he machine is operated by a. lever l5 onto which the pressure of the hand is placed, and as said lever is depressed, it in turn compresses the compression spring 22 and at the proper moment coacts to release the stored up energy in said spring, permitting it to forcibly drive down the plunger I4, thereby driving the end staple home into the material being stapled.

Referring to Fig. 5, the lever I5 is shown in the normal or at rest position. The forward end is vertically slotted or bifurcated at 23 and there carries a dog 24 pivoted at 25. The forward end 26 of dog 24 rests beneath plunger I4. As handle I5 nears the end of its down stroke the rear end 21 of dog 24 rides against bar 28 .which oscillates dog 24 counter-clockwise, thereby freeing plunger I4 which descends. under the influence of compression spring 22. Handle I5 is rel stored by spring 29. The shock of the downward blow of cylinder I4 is partially absorbed by cushioning spring 30.

I6 represents an adjustment cap for varying backward toward the rear of the machine against the pressure of spring 3, and latched by conventional means if desired. Upward pressure is exerted by the thumb against projection 1, raising the entire door and causing pin I8 to slide upwardly in slots I9. Simultaneously, slots 9 in the lower portion of the door are raised upward until they are above projections 8 whereupon continued pressure of the thumb or linger against linger piece 'I results in the door pivoting outward about pivot pin I8. This is clearly illustrated in Figure 2.

The blade I0 and lower portionof plunger I4 are now revealed and the bottom of blade I0 is readily moved outward as shown in Figure 2 to the extent that a staple clip can be loadedinto feed channel 2| of core 2. When the staples have been loaded completely into position, blade III is pivoted downwardly against the front end of core 2 and door 6 is pivoted downwardly and then raised, and finally allowed to drop down4 so that notches 9 engage over projections 8. Staple slide 5 is then released and the pressure of feed spring 3 moves the clip of staples forward until the end staple is pressing against the rear surface IllEL of driving blade I0.

To us'efthe machine pressure is placed upon lever or handle I5, thus raising the plunger I4 upward against the pressure of the compression spring 22, and as soon as the lower edge of dn'ving blade I0 passes staple feed channel 2|, a staple feeds out underneath the edge of the blade. A brief interval thereafter, the pressure stored up in the drive spring is released by suitable means and the driving blade I0 is impelled forcibly on its downward path until the staple is driven home.

Should the machine become clogged, the user has only to gothrough the operations of opening the door and pivoting said driving blade outward, picking off the clogged staple or staples with the lingers, and then pivoting back into position the driving blade and the door, the latter being locked in position. When the machine is ,opened the clogged staple is fully exposed and is in no way confined, hence the clogged staple is very readily removed.

It is believed that the mode of constructing and using, as well as the many advantages of my improved stapling machine will be apparent from the foregoing detailed description thereof. The machine possesses all of the advantages of front loading, yet does not necessitate locking the actuating means or spring in elevated position. There is accordingly no excessive stress on the working parts and no danger to the operator loading the machine with a new supply of staples. Moreover, the machine is cleared with particular ease should it become clogged.

Although the driver is pivoted,the driving impact is not'applied to the pivotal connection, but is instead applied directly to .a broad, ample bearing surface.

It will be apparent that while I have shown and described my invention in a preferred form, 75

Vmit preliminaiily tensioning the resilient means.

2. In a stapling machine, a casing, a feeding and driving means in said casing, said. driving means including a driver mounted on a plunger by means of a pivotal connection, said driver having a working position in which it is movable across the feeding means, said driver and plunger also having complemcntai surfaces adapted to come into direct contact when the driver is in.

working position so as to relieve the pivotal connection from excessive pressure during the driving operation:

3. In a machine of the type specified, a staple guide core, spring lfeed means on said core, a

plunger transversely reclprocabie adjacent the forward end of said core, resilient Ameans 'nor,

mally urging the plunger ltoward the core, said plunger carrying a driver osclllatabiy mounted on the plunger, said driver and plunger 'also hav-v f ing directly contacting bearings to take the driving pressure of the plunger on the driver when the driver is in working position, said driver being f enclosed and guided in working position by a door, said door and. said driver being fswingable outward sumciently to clear the forward end of the staple guide core in order to 'permit loading of staples ori-the core.

d. In a lever operated staple driving machine, a casing containing a core with staple feeding ,means for feeding staples on said core, staple driving means including a driver mounted on'a pressure receiving member, a compression spring bearing against said pressure receiving member and normally `urging said driver across the loadingend of said core,` and a door guiding said staple driver atthe end of the core, said door' 'being movably mounted on said casing, and said driver being movably mounted on said pressure receiving member, the mountings being such that the door-.and the driver are movable away. from said core without moving 'said spring, in order to permit loading' of staples onto said cora 5. A staplijng machine comprising a staple magazine closed at one end and open at the staple `driving end of the machine for reloading, staple feed means adapted to feed the staples toward the' stapledrivlng end thereof, a. staple driver 'movable transversely of the path of said feed means,`aotuating means for impelling said driver across the feed path, said actuating means being such as to normally hold the driver across the feed path, said driver and said actuating means being so related that the, driver may be readily manually moved inezlependen-tly of the actuating means to a position clear of the staple feed path in order to permit loading the feed means with feed means, a relatively powerful compression spring and a plunger moved thereby for impelling said driver across the feed path, said driver and plunger being so related that the driver maybe 'readily manually moved"independently of the plunger and spring to a position clear of the staple feed path in order to pe nit loading the feed means withanew supply of staples.

'7. A stapling machine comprising staple guide means, a 'staple driver movable transversely of said guide means, resilient means for impelling said driver across the guide means and for norf mally ,holding it across the guide means when the machine is at rest, and actuating means to first compress and then release said resilient means when the machine is to be operated, said driver being oscillatable' with respect to said resilient means so that the driver may be swung entirely out of the path of the guide means.

8. A stapling machine comprising staple feed end thereof, a staple driver movable transversely of the path of said feed means, a relatively powerful compression spring and a plunger moved thereby for impelling said driver across the feed path, said driver and plunger being pivotally related so that the driver may be swung out of the path ofthe feed means in order to permit loading the same with a new supply .of

staples.

9. A stapling machine comprising staple guide means, a staple driver movabletransversely of said guide means, a relatively powerful compression spring and a plunger moved thereby for impeiling said driver across the 'guide means, said driver and plunger being pivotally related so means adapted to be loaded at the staple driving that the driver may be swung out of the path of the guide means, and means to normally hold the driver in alignment with the plunger.

l0. A stapling machine comprising staple feed means adapted to be. loaded at the staple driving end thereof, a staple driver which in working position is movable transversely of the path of said feed means, a relatively powerful compres- `sion spring and a plunger moved thereby for lmeans being such as to normally hold the driver acrossl the guide means,l said driver and actuating means being pivotally related so that the driver may be swung out of the path of the guide means, and a releasable closure at the staple driving end of the staple guide means, said clo-` sure including means to confine the driver to its operative or driving position when the closure is closed.

12. A stapling machine comprising staple feed means adapted to be loaded at the driving end thereof, a stapledriver which in operative or driving position is movable transversely of the path of said feed means, resilient means and a plunger moved thereby for impelling said driver across the feed path and normally tending to' hofd it across the feed path, said driver and plunger being pivotally related so that the driver may be swung out of the path of the feed means in order to permit loading the same with a new supply of staples, and a releasable closure at the driving and loading` end of the staple guide means, said closure including means to confine position in alignment with the plunger when the closure is closed.

14. A staplingmachine comprising staple guide means, a staple driver movable transverselyof said guide means, a relatively powerful compression spring and a plunger moved thereby for impelling'said driver across the guide means, said driver and plunger being pivotally related so that the driver may be swung forwardly out of the path of theguide means, a closure at the driving end of the staple guide means, a pivot at the upper end of said closure, said pivot being located higher than the pvot of the driver, and

means to lock the closure in closed position.

l5. In. a stapling machine, a staple core with staple feeding means for feeding staples along said core, said staple core being closed at the rear end and open at the forward end for reloading, staple driving meansl reciprocable at the forward end of said staple core, means to actuate the staple driving means, the normal position of said driving means between stapling operations being such as to` block the end of the staple core, and openly accessible manually operable means whereby the staple driving means may be readily moved independently of -the actuating means to a position clear of the staple core, in order to permit loading of a supply of staples onto the staple core.

' WILLIAM DRYPOLCl-IER. 

